'Deep concern' for patients and staff at Gaza's al-Aqsa hospital - BBC News

Three UK doctors who worked at al-Aqsa hospital warn of a "disaster" as fighting nearby intensifies.

1 hour agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingRelated TopicsIsrael-Gaza warImage source, MAPImage caption, Medics from the British charity Medical Aid for Palestinians (MAP) pulled out of al-Aqsa hospitalBy Alys DaviesBBC NewsDoctors from the UK who have been working at what they say is the only functioning hospital in the central Gaza Strip have told the BBC of their "deep concern" for patients and staff remaining there - as fighting between the Israeli military and Hamas has reportedly intensified in nearby areas.

Deborah Harrington, an obstetrician who has been working at al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Deir al-Balah with the British charity Medical Aid for Palestinians (MAP), said the fighting meant there has been "a real decrease" in the number of staff able to work at the facility over the past two weeks.

At the same time, she said some 600 to 700 patients were still being treated inside the hospital daily, and that hundreds of displaced people were sheltering there or in the immediate vicinity.

"Without any functioning or sufficient healthcare staff, it will be an unmitigated disaster for those people living in Middle Gaza," another member of the team, surgeon Nick Maynard, told the BBC.

When asked about the reports, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) told the BBC: "The forces closest to there are 1.5km (0.9 miles) away and there is no activity there."

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-67929397?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=KARANGA

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